Fairway wood-type golf clubs with high moment of inertia

Abstract

Fairway wood-type golf clubs as described herein may include: (a) a club head with a volume of at least 300 cc; (b) a shaft member attached to the club head, wherein the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches; and (c) a grip or handle member attached to the shaft member. The club head may further include: (1) a ball striking face, wherein the ball striking face has a loft angle between 12 and 32 degrees; and (2) a club head body engaged or integrally formed with the ball striking face, with a sole portion that includes a ground-engaging surface.

1. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:
 a fairway wood-type golf club head including:
 a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, wherein the sole portion includes a ground-engaging surface, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a keel formed of a plurality of substantially planar surfaces oriented at transverse angles to each other, wherein all planar surfaces converge at a convergence point located at the sole portion, and 
 a ball striking face engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body, wherein the ball striking face extends from the toe portion to the heel portion, 
 
 a hosel member engaged with at least a portion of the club head; and 
 a shaft member engaged with the hosel member, such that the golf club has a length between 37 and 43 inches, 
 wherein the ball striking face includes a loft angle defined as an angle of the ball striking face in relation to the shaft member, and the loft angle is between 15 and 28 degrees, 
 wherein the club head has a volume of at least 300 cc. 
 
     
     
       2. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the club head has a volume of at least 460 cc. 
     
     
       3. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of planar surfaces is defined by four planar surfaces that include two front surfaces extending rearward from a bottom edge of the ball striking face and two rear surfaces extending toward the heel portion and the toe portion of the club head body. 
     
     
       4. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 3 , wherein the two front surfaces converge to form a first center ridge approximately at the centerline of the sole portion. 
     
     
       5. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 4 , wherein the two rear surfaces converge to form a second center ridge that is aligned with the first center ridge. 
     
     
       6. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 5 , wherein the first center ridge and the second center ridge extend outwardly to form the convergence point where the two front surfaces and two rear surfaces converge. 
     
     
       7. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 1 , wherein the keel has a substantially smooth surface texture. 
     
     
       8. A fairway wood-type golf club, comprising:
 a fairway wood-type golf club head including:
 a club head body including a heel portion, a toe portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a rear portion, wherein the rear portion includes a first increased weight zone, and wherein the sole portion includes a ground-engaging surface, wherein the ground-engaging surface includes a keel formed of a plurality of substantially planar surfaces oriented at transverse angles to each other, wherein all planar surfaces converge at a convergence point located at the sole portion, and 
 a ball striking face engaged with or integrally formed as part of the club head body, wherein the ball striking face is located at a portion of the club head body remote from the first increased weight zone and extends from the toe portion to the heel portion, and wherein the ball striking face has a variable thickness and a loft angle between 15 and 28 degrees, 
 wherein the club head has a moment of inertia Izz of at least 4500 g-cm 2 ; wherein the club head has a volume of at least 400 cc; wherein the club head has an overall length dimension of at least 4.5 inches; and wherein the club head has a ratio of the overall length dimension to an overall breadth dimension of at least 0.94; and 
 
 a shaft member engaged with the club head, wherein the golf club has a club length between 37 and 43 inches. 
 
     
     
       9. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the crown portion includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area. 
     
     
       10. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the sole portion includes a central area and a perimeter area, wherein the central area is thinner than the perimeter area. 
     
     
       11. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein a central area of the ball striking face is thicker than a perimeter area of the ball striking face. 
     
     
       12. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the ball striking face has a central area having a first thickness, a perimeter area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness. 
     
     
       13. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the ball striking face has a first area having a first thickness, a second area having a second thickness, and at least one transition region at least partially transitioning from the first thickness to the second thickness. 
     
     
       14. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the ball striking face constitutes part of a cup face member engaged with the club head body. 
     
     
       15. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the club head body constitutes a multi-part construction. 
     
     
       16. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 14 , wherein the ball striking face constitutes part of a cup face member engaged with multiple parts of the multi-part club head body construction. 
     
     
       17. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein a majority of the club head body is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of: titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials. 
     
     
       18. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 17 , wherein a majority of the ball striking face is constructed from at least one member selected from the group of: titanium metal or titanium-containing alloy materials. 
     
     
       19. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of planar surfaces is defined by four planar surfaces that include two front surfaces extending rearward from a bottom edge of the ball striking face and two rear surfaces extending toward the heel portion and the toe portion of the club head body. 
     
     
       20. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 19 , wherein the two front surfaces converge to form a first center ridge approximately at the centerline of the sole portion. 
     
     
       21. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 20 , wherein the two rear surfaces converge to form a second center ridge that is aligned with the first center ridge. 
     
     
       22. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 21 , wherein the first center ridge and the second center ridge extend outwardly to form the convergence point where the two front surfaces and two rear surfaces converge. 
     
     
       23. A fairway wood-type golf club according to  claim 8 , wherein the keel has a substantially smooth surface texture.